The Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin

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The Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin

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Summary

A novel of manners in Chinese literature.

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The Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin

The Story of the Stone (c. 1760), also known by the title of The Dream of the Red Chamber, is the great novel of manners in Chinese literature. Divided into five volumes, of which The Warning Voice is the third, it charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family (a story which closely accords with the fortunes of the author's own family). The two main characters, Bao-yu and Dai-yu, are set against a rich tapestry of humour, realistic detail and delicate poetry, which accurately reflects the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life. But over and above the novel hangs the constant reminder that there is another plane of existence - a theme which affirms the Buddhist belief in a supernatural scheme of things.
“Filled with classical allusions, multilayered wordplay, and delightful poetry, Cao’s novel is a testament to what Chinese literature was capable ofReaders of English are fortunate to have David Hawkes and John Minford’s The Story of the Stone, which distills a lifetime of scholarship and reading into what is probably the finest work of Chinese-to-English literary translation yet produced. You will be rewarded every bit of attention you give it, many times over.” —SupChina, “The 100 China Books You Have to Read, Ranked” (#1)

Cao Xueqin (Ts'ao Hsueh-ch'in) ca. 1715-1763
Cao is considered to be China's greatest novelist, but little is known of his life. An unconventional, versatile man, he came from an eminent and wealthy family which suffered a reversal of fortune in 1728 after the death of the Kangxi Emperor and a power struggle between his sons. Cao seems to have spent about ten years writing and revising his novel, from roughly 1740 to 1750, but the last 40 of the 120 chapters were completed by a different author, probably after his death. He also worked for a period of time in the Imperial Clan's school for the children of the nobility and bannermen, but eventually settled in the countryside west of Peking. He earned some money by selling his own paintings, but his family seems to have been perpetually in poverty.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780140443707
ISBN 10 0140443703
Title The Story of the Stone
Author Cao Xueqin
Series The Story Of The Stone
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Year published 1980-09-25
Number of pages 640
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note Unavailable